Beds

ABSTRACT

A bed comprises in combination a support, a padding unit and a decorative surround. The support comprises a spring interior with insulation on top of it. The padding unit comprises padding and can be releasably secured on top of the support so to leave a peripheral gap beeen the padding unit and the support into which gap the marginal parts of sheets and other bedclothes can be tucked. The decorative surround can be releasably secured around the support and may be permanently attached to the underside of the padding unit at the inner edge of the gap. Alternatively the padding unit may have a skirt of plain material of the same shape as such a decorative surround, there being a separate decorative surround which can be fitted over the skirt.

United States Patent 11 1 Docker 1 1 Apr. 24, 1973 I BEDS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 lnvemorl Leslie Thomas Dock", Chadwick 192,535 2/1923 Great Britain ..5 320 End, England [73] Assignee: Slumberland Group Limited, Bir- 'f Exami' zerBemard Gelak sszstant xammer arre ar ue e mingham, England A E D q It Att0rneyS,crivener, Parker, Scrivener & Clarke [22] Filed: May 3, 1971 Appl. No.5 139,797

U.S.Cl. ..5/35l, 5/320, 5/354 A bed comprises in combination a support, a padding unit and a decorative surround. The support comprises a spring interior with insulation on top of it. The padding unit comprises padding and can be releasably secured on top of the support so to leave a peripheral gap beeen the padding unit and the support into which gap the marginal parts of sheets and other bedclothes can be tucked. The decorative surround can be releasably secured around the support and may be permanently attached to the underside of the padding unit at the inner edge of the gap Alternatively the padding unit may have a skirt of plain material of the same-shape as such a decorative surround, there being a separate decorative surround which can be fitted over the skirt.

ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented A ril 24; 1973 7 3,728,747

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented April 24, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BEDS This invention relates to beds.

At one time a bed consisted of a support with a mattress on top of it, the mattress being filled with some material such as horse-hair or feathers which tended to become compacted with prolonged use so that it was frequently necessary to shake and turn the mattress. At first the supports were relatively rigid, but later spring wire mesh supports were employed. With the introduction of spring interiors, that is assemblies of metal springs arranged so that they are compressed when in use, both mattresses and supports were made with spring interiors. A spring interior cannot be used on its own, and it is necessary to provide insulation between a spring interior and the cover of the article containing the spring interior, for in the absence of such insulation the individual springs become too obtrusive for comfort and may even damage the cover. Thus it has been the practice to provide a support or base comprising a spring interior with insulation above it, and a mattress comprising a spring interior with insulation and padding both above and below it so that the mattress can be used either way up. It may be noted that although there is usually no need for a mattress containing a spring interior to be turned, it is nevertheless the custom for users periodically to turn such mattresses.

The object of the invention is to provide a bed making use of a spring interior but which may be of simpler construction than the beds previously manufactured.

According to the present invention there is provided a bed comprising in combination a support containing a spring interior and insulation above the spring interior, a padding unit comprising padding and adapted to be releasably secured on top of the support so as to leave a peripheral gap between the padding unit and the support into which gap the marginal parts of sheets and other bedclothes can be tucked, and a decorative surround capable of being releasably secured around the support.

The invention stems from the realization that it is unnecessary to provide two separate spring interiors which are separated in use by two layers of insulation and a layer of padding; and the invention provides a bed in which the use of two separate spring interiors is avoided. The invention also makes it possible to dispense with one of the two layers of padding previously employed. Furthermore this simplification can be achieved without any loss of comfort, for the spring interior may be of any desired depth and spring characteristics, and the padding may be quite as luxurious as that previously used.

A further advantage of the invention is that those parts of the bed which are normally seen, that is the top surface and the sides, and which are normally made of decorative material, form parts of components which are detachable from the support, namely the padding unit and the decorative surround. This enables the manufacturer to supply supports in a standard range of sizes, and to provide padding units and decorative surrounds in a wide range of colours and patterns for attachment for each size of support. At present a shop selling beds must stock several beds of each size, each of a different colour or pattern. By making use of the invention the shop need only stock one support of each size, and for each size a supply of padding units and decorative surrounds of different colours and patterns. A padding unit and surround together occupy must less space than a conventional bed, so that space is saved, and in any given space a wider range of beds can be stocked than could be stocked hitherto.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a bed embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 represents the top left-hand portion of FIG. 2 to a larger scale, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a decorative surround for use with an alternative form of bed embodying the invention, a part being broken away to show the construction more clearly.

In the manufacture of the type of bed shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 there is first made a wooden base 1 which comprises a shallow rectangular frame and spaced parallel slats extending between the layer sides of the frame. A spring interior 2 is secured to the upper side of the base 1. The spring interior 2 is of composite construction and comprises two separate units 3 and 4 each formed of a plurality of bands of helical compression springs disposed side-by-side and interconnected with transverse helical wires. The manufacture of such spring units is described in British Pat. No. 1,095,980 of Multilastic Limited. The lower unit 3 is stiffer than the upper unit 4. The units 3 and 4 are disposed one above the other and are separated by a flexible diaphragm 5 such as a sheet of hessian mounted on an open mesh made from parallel paper cords traversed by parallel wires, the ends of the wires being crimped around the marginal cords. The spring interior 2 is secured to the base 1 by means of staples.

A layer of insulating material 6 is placed on the top of the spring interior 2 and is fixed to it by any suitable means. This layer 6 may be of conventional form and may for example comprise cotton felt at 2% oz/sq.ft. or a foam plastics material such as polyether.

The assembly thus formed is next covered with a plain textile material 7. This is preferably a stretchable fabric, such as a light-weight, open-work knitted material, made in tubular form. The material 7 is stretched over an open-ended metal feed tube (not shown) of rectangular cross-section and of a size such as to enable the assembly to be passed through it endwise. When the assembly emerges from the feed tube the material 7 is pulled from the tube, over the emerging end of the assembly, and'contracts onto the assembly. More material 7 is progressively drawn from the feed tube as the assembly passes from the tube until the assembly is wholly covered by the material. The material 7 extends beyond the ends of the assembly, and the end portions of the material are folded over the ends of the assembly and are anchored beneath the ends of the base 1 by staples or other suitable means.

Other forms of cover for the assembly may, of course, be used but that described above is the preferred form.

After the assembly has been covered it is mountedon a plinth 8 or some similar means to support it above the floor level. The plinth comprising four rectangilar panels of blockboard or the like which may be permanently fixed together or may be hinged to the underside of the base 1 about their longer edges. The panels can then be pivoted between an erected position and a knocked-down position. In the erected position (as illustrated) the panels are vertical and form the four sides of a closed rectangular plinth of uniform height. The side panels 9 of the plinth and the end panel 10 at the foot end of the base are mounted a few inches, for example 6 inches, inwards from the adjacent edges of the base 1. The end panel 11 at the head end of the bed, however, is flush with the adjacent edge of the base 1 and is adapted to be secured to a headboard support (not shown). Releasable catches (not shown) are provided to secure the panels 9, l0 and 11 together when they are in the erected position. When the catches are released the panels can be pivoted outwards and so become parallel with the base 1. The space occupied by the plinth 8 is thus very considerably reduced. The space occupied by the support as a Whole can be further reduced by compressing the spring interior 2. The support would usually be stored and transported when in this state.

In an alternative construction (not illustrated) there is a fixed hollow plinth of similar overall shape to that illustrated but with a drawer or drawers in it.

The bed also includes a padding unit which can be releasably mounted on the support. The padding unit comprises padding material 12 contained in a suitable cover 13, and a skirt 14 which depends from the cover and can be fitted around the sides of the sprung part of the support to provide a decorative surround.

The width and length of the padding unit are the same as those of the support so that in use the padding unit overlies the support. The padding material 12 may be of any desired kind. It may for example comprise two layers of polyester fibre and a rather more dense layer of crimped polyester or other fibre between them. Alternatively it may comprise a layer of needed synthetic fibre, or yet again it may comprise a plurality of small balls or granules of expanded polystyrene.

The padding material 12 is contained in the cover 13. The top part of the cover 13, containing a layer of padding material, is quilted as indicated at 15 to prevent the layer of padding material shifting inside the cover, and its upper outer face is made from a decorative textile material such for example as a material of the kind customarily employed in covering mattresses. The lower face of the cover 13 is in two parts; the outer part comprises a strip 16 of the same decorative material as is used for the upper face, the strip being mitred at the corners to provide a frame for the inner part which comprises a rectangle 17 of a less elaborate and less expensive, plain material. The strip 16 would usually be between 6 inches and 1 foot in width. The outer peripheral edge of the strip 16 is stitched to the outer peripheral edge of the top part of the cover, the stitching also securing binding tape 23 around the edges. The lower face of the cover extends along the two layer sides of the bed and along the foot of the bed but not along the head thereof.

The skirt 14 is also formed from a strip of the same material as that used for the upper face of the padding unit and its upper edge is sewn by stitching 18 to the inner edge of the strip 16. The upper part 19 of the skirt l4 lies immediately beneath the strip 16, so that between the part 19 and the strip 16 there is a gap 20, usually approaching l foot in dpeth, into which the marginal portions of the bedclothes can be tucked when the bed is in use. There is no gap at the head end of the bed. The intermediate part 21 of the skirt 14 depends from the outer edge of the upper part 19 (except at the head end of the bed where the upper part 19 is absent) and in use it embraces the vertical side walls of the sprung part of the support. The lower part 22 of the skirt 14 is a continuation of the central part 21 but has elastic 23 at its lower, inner edge so that in use it is pulled inwards beneath the base 1 of the support and towards the plinth 8.

In an alternative construction, not illustrated, hooks are provided at intervals around the underside of the base 1 near the plinth 8 to enable the lower part 22 of the skirt 14 to be hooked to therri and thus held in place more positively than it is by the elastic 23 alone.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the padding unit can be removed from and replaced on the support whenever desired, or a new padding unit can replace the former one. The arrangement is such that the lower part 22 of the skirt 14 can be unhooked (if hooks are provided) and the elastic 23 can be resiliently extended to an extent such as to enable the skirt to be pulled up over the support and thus removed from the support.

In the constructions described above the skirt constitutes the decorative surround. In an alternative construction, however, the skirt is of a plain material, and a removable and replaceable collar constituting the decorative surround is provided to cover it. The collar is shown in FIG. 4 and comprises a strip 24 of any suitable decorative material with elastic at its upper and lower edges 25 and 26 respectively. When it is in position its upper edge 25 is pulled into the gap 20 into which the bedclothes are tucked (except at the head of the bed) and its lower edge 26 is pulled beneath the base 1 towards the plinth 8. It will be appreciated that such a collar can readily be removed and replaced by another collar of similar construction but of another colour, so that the user can readily alter the appearance of the bed merely by changing the collar.

It is intended that supports of a standard range of sizes would be produced and would be delivered to shops and other suppliers in the knocked-down and flattened state described above, together with padding units in a wide range of colours and materials. The supplier may also be supplied with collars also in a wide range of colours and materials. As the padding units and collars are much less bulky than complete beds a supplier is able to store the components for a wide range of beds in a space which would accommodate only a relatively small number of conventional beds. Once the padding unit has been fitted to the support it is unnecessary for it to be removed again unless the user wants to replace the unit with one of a different colour or material or quality.

Various modifications and additions are also envisaged. For example the padding unit may be so shaped as to provide a pillow or bolster at the head end. Alternatively or in addition the unit may afford a pocket into which a pillow can be inserted.

The padding unit may also contain an electric blanket, or may be adapted to have an electric blanket removably mounted inside it or removably attached to its upper surface.

The padding unit is preferably made from materials such that it can be washed. To this end the fabrics and the padding may all be formed from plastics materials.

The bed may be used with any type of bedclothes, but it will be understood that as the padding unit would normally be very much thinner than a conventional mattress the bedclothes are preferably of smaller overall dimensions than those used with conventional beds. The bottom sheet is preferably fitted and is therefore of a special shape. In order to resist any tendency there might be for the edges of the padding unit to be drawn inwards towards the middle of the bed stiffening means may be provided in the padding unit. The top sheet may also be fitted, or it may be replaced by a padded coverlet of the kind much used in Germany and elsewhere on the Continent of Europe.

I claim:

1. A bed comprising in combination a support containing a spring interior and insulation above the spring interior, a padding unit overlying the support and containing padding but not including a spring interior, and a skirt, the upper edge of the skirt joining the underside of the padding unit at locations spaced inwardly from the outer edge of the padding unit, the skirt extending outwards from said locations and downwards around the support whereby a peripheral gap is left between the padding unit and the support into which gap the marginal parts of sheets and other bedclothes can be tucked, and the skirt and padding unit being releasable from the support and replaceable on the support at will.

2. A bed according to claim 1 in which the skirt extends beneath the support to a lower edge which is elastic so as to retain the skirt releasably in position but which can be resiliently extended to an extent such as to enable the skirt to be pulled up over the support and thus removed from the support with the padding unit.

3. A bed according to claim 1 in combination with a surround overlying the skirt, extending into said gap and extending beneath the support, the surround being releasable from the support and replaceable on the support at will.

4. A bed and surround according to claim 3 in which the upper and lower edges of the surround are elastic so as to retain the surround in position but which can be resiliently extended to an extent such as to enable the surround to be pulled up over the support and thus removed from the support. 

1. A bed comprising in combination a support containing a spring interior and insulation above the spring interior, a padding unit overlying the support and containinG padding but not including a spring interior, and a skirt, the upper edge of the skirt joining the underside of the padding unit at locations spaced inwardly from the outer edge of the padding unit, the skirt extending outwards from said locations and downwards around the support whereby a peripheral gap is left between the padding unit and the support into which gap the marginal parts of sheets and other bedclothes can be tucked, and the skirt and padding unit being releasable from the support and replaceable on the support at will.
 2. A bed according to claim 1 in which the skirt extends beneath the support to a lower edge which is elastic so as to retain the skirt releasably in position but which can be resiliently extended to an extent such as to enable the skirt to be pulled up over the support and thus removed from the support with the padding unit.
 3. A bed according to claim 1 in combination with a surround overlying the skirt, extending into said gap and extending beneath the support, the surround being releasable from the support and replaceable on the support at will.
 4. A bed and surround according to claim 3 in which the upper and lower edges of the surround are elastic so as to retain the surround in position but which can be resiliently extended to an extent such as to enable the surround to be pulled up over the support and thus removed from the support. 